


Eat Up

by ObscureReference



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire Nohrians, Blood Drinking, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 22:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18186527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: Xander pressed his mouth against Laslow’s collarbone, but he didn’t bite down. Not yet. Laslow stood there, lower lip caught between his teeth, as he waited for what was to come. With his eyes closed and the world dark, Laslow’s reality had narrowed entirely to the simple feel of Xander’s lips on his skin. They stood there for what felt like forever.Eventually, Laslow had to ask, “Are you just going to stand there all night?”





	Eat Up

**Author's Note:**

> Like five (5) months ago, I got a bunch of [vampire asks](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/tagged/vampire-au) on my tumblr. I wrote a little drabble for it then, and now I'm posting it here all these months later. It's slightly revised, but except for a few new details and reworded sentences, it's pretty much identical to what I originally posted. 
> 
> I don't know why I was suddenly overcome with the need for more vampire AU this evening, but I was. Whether or not I ever write more, I'm a big fan of vampire AU.

The back of Laslow’s skull hit the stone of the wall with a soft tap. The feel of it was nearly enough to jolt him out of the moment—but only nearly. All Laslow could truly focus on was his own sharp intake of breath and the cold tip of Xander’s nose pressed against the curve of his neck.

He swallowed, lifting his chin to give Xander easier access. He turned his face away as Xander nosed closer to his skin. The night air was cool even in Xander’s bedchamber, and goosebumps had broken out across Laslow’s arms through the thin fabric of his shirt. He barely kept himself trembling with anticipation.

The buildup was always the hardest part.

Xander pressed his mouth against Laslow’s collarbone, but he didn’t bite down. Not yet. Laslow stood there, lower lip caught between his teeth, as he waited for what was to come. With his eyes closed and the world dark, Laslow’s reality had narrowed entirely to the simple feel of Xander’s lips on his skin. They stood there for what felt like forever.

Eventually, Laslow had to ask, “Are you just going to stand there all night?”

He peeked down at Xander through his eyelashes and saw only a mane of blond hair. Xander did not look up at him. However, Laslow felt the low rumble of Xander’s voice when the prince spoke.

“Going somewhere?” Xander asked.

They both know he wasn’t. Even if Laslow hadn’t been the one to offer in the first place, he wouldn’t have left Xander when he was hungry. Not even if there were genuinely other things to be done.

Laslow huffed through his nose in response—not frustrated, but just cheeky enough for Xander to get the message. The anticipation was practically killing him.

Then Xander shifted his head, and suddenly Laslow almost regretted rushing him. It took enough coaxing to get Xander to eat in the first place—he didn’t need it often, Xander claimed, though Laslow knew that was a lie because meeting the bare minimum didn’t mean you were doing  _well_ —and Laslow didn’t want Xander stopping even before they had gotten started.

But he didn’t stop. Xander shifted, Laslow bit his lip again, tensing, and then—

Xander bit him.

It hurt, of course. Xander’s teeth were smaller than any real blade, but they were just as sharp. His teeth were like little knives sinking into Laslow’s vulnerable neck. He jerked at the sudden intrusion, squeezing fistfuls of the back of Xander’s shirt just to focus on something else. With Laslow’s arms wrapped around Xander's torso like they were, he was no doubt mussing up Xander’s clothes. He didn’t particularly care, though. It was all Laslow could do to keep from tensing too hard at the feel of teeth breaking the skin.

It didn’t hurt _terribly_. Xander was gentle with him, and Laslow had long since gotten used to the sensation of being a walking buffet. But it still _stung_. Badly. And Laslow had always been squeamish on his best days.

His toes curled. His instinct was to jerk away from Xander—away from the source of pain—but Laslow forced himself up on the balls of his feet instead, pressing further up against Xander's mouth so Xander didn't have to lean down so far to eat.

It would be over soon, he told himself. Not that he really wanted it to be.

Oh, he disliked the pain for sure. That was undoubtedly the worst part. But it didn’t last for very long.

Even as Laslow swallowed a hiss, he felt Xander's teeth retract from his neck. The gentle caress of a hot tongue replaced the hurt. Xander grunted under his breath as the first taste of blood graced his lips—Laslow’s blood.

Realistically, Laslow knew that Xander was just licking the blood from the wound, catching a quick meal. But the feel of him, of Xander’s mouth sucking on his skin…

It was more than enough to make Laslow’s breath catch.

The whole thing had disgusted Laslow the first time or two. Or even the first three, if he was being honest. Xander and his siblings needed blood to survive, sure, and Laslow understood that. But he had always been averse to pain and most bodily fluids, and he hadn’t known about the blood sucking thing until after he’d already become Xander’s retainer. The fact that Laslow essentially functioned as a walking meal tray on top of his normal retainer duties had been an unpleasant revelation, to say the least.

Now, though—

Laslow shivered at the feel of Xander’s mouth on his neck and hoped Xander attributed it to the blood loss. He was beginning to feel lightheaded enough for the excuse to seem plausible anyway.

In fact, Laslow hadn’t realized how long he’d let Xander drink from him until Xander pulled back and Laslow swayed on his feet from the sudden loss of Xander’s body pressed against his own. His grip on Xander’s shirt had gone slack at some point. His arms now hung limply by his side. A patch of skin on the left side of Laslow’s neck felt overly warm.

Laslow had barely began to sway before Xander’s hands were on him again, keeping him steady.

“Are you alright?” Xander asked, sounding nearly breathless. There was a warmth to Xander’s face that Laslow didn’t think had been there a few minutes before. His skin looked less pale. There was even a bit of color in his cheeks—a rare sight. “I took too much—”

“No, no,” Laslow quickly assured him, cutting off whatever internal conflict that was bound to be brewing inside Xander already. “It’s me. I didn’t eat anything at dinner. It’s been a long day, so…”

That made Xander frown even harder. “Then why would you offer so incessantly tonight? You know how dizzy can empty stomach can make you after—”

He cut himself off.

Laslow was used to this being the one topic Xander acted cagey about, so he smiled sheepishly at his prince to make up the difference. In truth, Laslow was the one who had made his first few weeks at Castle Krakenburg weird, and now Xander was always overly concerned about overstepping his bounds. He wished he could go back and tell his past self to adapt faster, to not judge so harshly. Alas.

Xander shook his head and lead him over to the bed. Once there, Laslow perched on the edge, closing his eyes briefly. Xander stood at the foot of the bed patiently.

After taking a moment to gather himself and mentally willing the lightheadedness to disappear—lightheadedness which was so fleeting that it had all but vanished entirely even before Laslow sat down—he looked up at Xander once more.

Xander, for his part, was no longer eyeing Laslow’s neck, which Laslow took to mean he wasn’t bleeding all over himself anymore. Laslow didn’t know anything about vampires aside from what little he’d learned in Nohr, but he thought Xander’s bite wounds always healed faster than an average cut or puncture. Which was convenient, to say the least.

Now that he wasn't fretting over Laslow's neck any longer, Xander had fixed Laslow with a look of concern. It was a strange expression for the normally stoic prince. Though Laslow was perhaps getting ahead of himself again. It _wasn’t_ strange that Xander cared about him, he thought. Xander wasn’t literally or figuratively heartless, no matter what they might have whispered about him in Hoshido. And Xander had enough hang-ups about eating regularly anyway.

So of course Xander always waited on Laslow to speak up first after eating. Of course.

“What’s with that look?” Laslow smiled. “I’m feeling better already. See?” He stood up and didn’t stumble. “Nothing to worry about. Though you might be the one feeling it tomorrow if you don’t get to bed soon. When did it get this late?”

Xander sighed. “Laslow.”

Deflections wouldn’t really work then. They never did with Xander, but it was worth a shot. Laslow liked the routine anyway.

He shrugged and began buttoning his shirt collar up again. He quickly ran his hand over his neck to wipe off the excess spit there and noticed a distinct lack of blood on his palm when he glanced down. His shirt collar didn’t feel wet or stiff either. The wound might have already scabbed over, but eating was a messy process. Had Xander not missed a single drop while he’d been feeding on Laslow? Just how hungry had he been?

Checking his neck in the mirror right there would have been too obvious, so Laslow made a mental note for later. In the present moment, he kept the smile plastered on his face.

“Honestly, I’m fine,” Laslow reassured Xander again once his shirt was fixed. He felt the need to make up for Xander’s silence. “Don’t worry about me. I know my own limits.”

Stiffly, Xander nodded. “I still expect you to eat a full meal beforehand next time.”

“Of course, milord,” he said, a cross between teasing and gentle. “I know better.”

The small breath of air Xander pushed through his nose could have almost been considered a laugh. Perhaps a disbelieving one. “So you say.”

They stood at the foot of Xander’s bed looking at one another for a moment. Only a few candles burned in various corners around the room. They were decidedly for Laslow’s benefit.

Outside, the sky was as cloudy and dark as every other night in Nohr. Laslow felt the phantom sensation of Xander’s lips on his neck.

There was only one thing to be done in a moment like this.

Laslow shifted his weight and said, “Goodnight, milord.”

Xander nodded. The air felt thick.

“Goodnight, Laslow. Thank you for your service.”

Laslow left with a final, fleeting smile behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> When I originally posted this fic, I said on my tumblr that I regretting Xander not insisting Laslow eat before he goes to bed. I thought about rewriting the ending here to accommodate for that, but it didn't work and I didn't want to change things too much. So please note from here on out that Xander keeps oranges and other foods in his room to feed Laslow (and also Peri) after, you know. Feeding on _them._ He would have insisted Laslow eat here, but he didn't have anything on hand and it was pretty late to be going down to the kitchens. And Laslow was pretty okay at the end. Don't follow his lead if you plan on donating blood, though, lol. Laslow is not the pinnacle of selfcare.
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment below or hit me up on my [tumblr!](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/) I get a lot of FE14 meta and fic related asks there, so feel free to browse through my "asks" or "fe14" tag for some extra stuff from me and your fellow readers that you may not see over here. Or send in a question of your own if you had one! Thanks for reading!


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